A Cultural and Musical History of the Bagpipes w/ Richard McLauchlan, John Mulhearn & Fergus Muirhead

Join author Richard McLauchlan, Fergus Muirhead, and the Piping Centre’s John Mulhearn for an afternoon of bagpiping history, plus a tune or two.

Author Richard McLauchlan is our sure-footed guide to the fascinating history of the bagpipes, sharing stories from his new book The Bagpipes: A Cultural History. Although commonly associated with Scotland, the pipes are played across the globe, illuminating societies in remarkable and unexpected ways. Richard charts the rise of women pipers, investigates class, privilege, and capitalism in the piping world, and explores how a ‘national instrument’ can shift in meaning amidst the currents of identity.

Joining Richard is the Piping Centre’s own John Mulhearn, who discusses his new book, Let Piping Flourish. A love letter to Glasgow’s rich piping heritage, this hardback volume showcases 230 tunes from more than 100 composers. With a wealth of photographs and historical anecdotes, it’s as much a visual treasure as a musical one. Part archive, part anthology, part tribute, it’s the first tune book of its kind.

More about The Bagpipes: A Cultural History

History’s first named bagpiper is a man playing a pipe ‘with a bag tucked under his armpit’ in the first century CE. He was the Roman Emperor Nero. Since then, this improbable conflation of bag and sticks has become the world’s most beloved and contested instrument. Another piping emperor, Tsar Peter the Great, decided that his departed pet bear would live on—as a bagpipe.

This vivid history tells the long story of an instrument boasting over 130 varieties, yet commonly associated with just one, from one country: Scotland’s Great Highland Bagpipe. In fact, the pipes are played across the globe, illuminating societies in remarkable, unexpected ways. Richard McLauchlan charts the rise of women pipers; investigates class, privilege and capitalism in the piping world; and explores how a ‘national instrument’ can shift in meaning amidst the currents of identity.

The vibrancy and inventiveness of today’s pipers showcase the allure of this fabled, fascinating instrument, to which McLauchlan is our surefooted guide.

About the author

Richard McLauchlan is a Scottish writer, educated at the Universities of St Andrews and Cambridge. The author of Serious Minds, he also collaborated with John Campbell on acclaimed biography Haldane (both published by Hurst). Richard co-founded the educational charity Light Up Learning. His author website can be found here: richardmclauchlan.com.